Milburn

Sheffield

Name?Joe Carnall

Where are you from?Sheffield

What do you do?Lead Singer and Bass Guitarist of Milburn.

Describe your style in three words?No Big Patterns.

If you could make a record with anyone from history?There's so many choices here but I'm going for one of the all-time greats in David Bowie. Like no other, Bowie had that chameleon ability which enabled his music to constantly stay relevant over 50 years. Even in the afterlife he managed to surprise people.

What’s the best gig you’ve ever been to and why?The most excited I've ever been at a gig was when the Libertines played the Sheffield Leadmill in 2003. I was only 16 and feared that I'd not even make it past the bouncers. At the time they represented and defined my generation of guitar music, so it was a real 'I was there' moment. The atmosphere was electric.

What British music icons inspire your sound today?The Coral have been a huge inspiration in the past as they introduced us to more psychedelic sounds of artists such as Captain Beefheart and The Electric Prunes.

If you could spend an hour with anyone from history?I'm fascinated by the period between the first and second world wars as democracy, fascism and communism all sought to become the dominant ideology in so many European countries. It was at this point that George Orwell began making his observations. I'd love to pick his brains.

Which British subculture means the most to you?I have a lot of respect for the Ska/Two-Tone era. In the early days of Milburn we acquired a 'best of ska' record which we played all the time and the odd skank even made it into some of our early tunes. More importantly, Two-Tone came to represent multiculturalism and working class creativity in Thatcher's Britain.

If you could share the bill with any British band in history?Thin Lizzy because it would make our dad's so happy. They were a band that we all grew up listening to.

What music did you listen to growing up?Mainly our parent's music collections: Thin Lizzy, The Stranglers, Talking Heads, The Beatles, Prince.